Artwork
Diana Recumbent
Diana Recumbent is an ink print by the Baroque artist Laurent de La Hyre. It dates from 1624 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Laurent de La Hyre, a Paris‑born painter of the early seventeenth century, produced the etching *Diana Recumbent* circa 1624. Executed on laid paper, the print belongs to the mythological genre and exemplifies the artist’s turn toward a restrained, neoclassical idiom often termed Parisian Atticism.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents the Roman goddess Diana in a reclined pose, her figure intertwined with a dense woodland setting. The composition suggests a moment of quiet repose amid the hunt, emphasizing the deity’s connection to the forest and the moonlit night.
Technique & Style
La Hyre employed a traditional copper‑plate etching process, producing strong, velvety blacks that contrast sharply with the paper’s pale tone. The lines are deliberately coarse and scratchy, lending the scene a tactile, almost tangled quality as the figures merge with surrounding trees and vines.
History & Provenance
Created around 1624, the print reflects La Hyre’s early engagement with classical themes before his later career as a painter. While specific ownership records are scarce, the work is recognized as part of the artist’s print output that circulated among collectors interested in mythological subjects during the French Baroque period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Laurent de La Hyre (French pronunciation: ; 27 February 1606 – 28 December 1656) was a French Baroque painter, born in Paris. He was a leading exponent of the neoclassical style of Parisian Atticism.
